Got Back Up
by chinocoop81
Summary: Lollypops and Letter AE choice A. Marissa gets pregnant, but is unsure of who the baby’s father is. It could be Ryan or Steve’s cause Steve raped her around the time of Ryan’s departure. Ryan of course does the noble thing and offers to marry her.
1. Don't Know What To Do

**A/N Here's the first chapter of this AE. I'll hopefully post again tomorrow, but I know for a fact I won't post on Tuesday, and probably not Wednesday either. I hope that you guys like this one, but I wouldn't blame you if you don't. It's weird to get back into the mood of writing them together after he died. That and I'm very distracted watching TV, so if something doesn't make much sense, that's probably why. R/R!**

It was my worst nightmare. No, scratch that, it was a million times worse than my worst nightmare. There was no way that this could happen to me, not here, not now. I close my eyes and lean against the bathroom wall, pulling my knees to my chest, dropping that dreaded pregnancy test. I take in a large gulp of air and then when I finally feel like I won't pass out, I slowly open my eyes and look to my right, at that scary white stick. The one that was going to ruin my life. The one with a pink plus sign.

_I lean my head down onto his chest, my body sweaty yet still ready for another round if he was up to it. I smile and kiss his chest, my kisses obviously having an affect on his slightly tired and sweaty body. He moans a little and says, "You're going to make me strain something if you keep this up."_

"_You're leaving in a couple of hours," I point out, lifting my lips from his chest and looking into those eyes of his that I love. I sigh a little and he sees the upset look on my face. He quickly takes action, wrapping his arms around me and flipping us over so that I'm on the bottom and he's hovering above me. He leans down and softly touches his lips against mine, igniting the fire deep within my body again. I smile, knowing that I had won and we weren't quite done with the night yet._

"_Forget that. Me and you are together right now and that's all that matters," he murmurs, pulling away to look into my eyes. He has a mix of emotions etched in his blue eyes; anxiety and desire. The mix makes him look extremely desirable, so I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and pull him back to my lips. Our kisses grow to be very heated and hard, our entire bodies pressed together. His lips move down my neck, to my breasts and I intake a sharp breath of air as he does wonders to my already turned on body._

"_Ryan…" I whimper when I need him inside of me. He starts to reach for another condom but I shake my head and pull on him so that he's inside me. He looks at me with confused eyes and I say, "I can't wait." I move my hips, pulling him further into me and if Ryan was going to protest before, then he completely forgot what he was going to say now. He lets out a low, throaty moan and then starts to move inside of me. I pull his lips down to kiss my lips again, enjoying the waves of pleasure our bodies are creating together. We're so into pleasing each other that when he comes, he forgets to pull out. _

_Afterwards, he collapses on the spot next to me, both of us completely tired. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me closer to his body. Our legs tangle together and I lean my head on his chest, listening to his rapidly beating heart. It slows after a while, after his breathing calms down too. He looks at me worriedly and says, "We shouldn't have done that…"_

_I shake my head and say, "You know you liked it."_

"_Yeah, but the consequences…" He murmurs, looking into my eyes. "Are we ready for something like that yet?"_

"_I guess if the consequences come, we'll deal with it together," I say, trying to seem completely sure of myself. I couldn't help but wonder though; would I be ready for those consequences if they did in fact come? I close my eyes and try to relax myself, remembering that this is my last night with Ryan and my last night doesn't need to be ruined with consequences we could quite possibly not have to deal with._

Summer finds me in the same spot on the bathroom floor two hours later. I hadn't moved, just kept thinking about my current situation and how it had happened. "Your mom told me that you were upstairs…" Summer says, and then sees my current state of distress and gasps. "What's wrong?" She asks, walking closer to me. My eyes trail to the pregnancy test on the floor and she sees it too. She leans down and sees the pink plus sign and then gasps again. "Oh my God."

I nod and blankly say, "Yep."

"You're….pregnant?" She asks, tripping over the last word.

I nod again and repeat, "Yep."

"As in, with child? Knocked up? Preggars?" She asks, her eyebrows raising.

I nod and one again say, "Yep."

"Say something else!" She demands, staring at me. I wonder if a rage blackout is coming. I wonder if I would even notice.

"I am pregnant, as in a baby is inside of me. As in I'm fifteen years old and pregnant," I say matter-of-factly, even though I feel like I was drowning and there was no way to come up above the surface again.

Summer slinks down to the floor beside me and stares off into space, just like I've been doing for the past two hours. "Wow," She says after a while.

"Yep."

"Have you talked to Ryan yet?" She asks, glancing over at me.

"I don't know if I can. Steve keeps destroying all the letters…" I say with a very big sigh.

"Well, get the Cohens to send something for you," Summer suggests. "I could get my dad to drive you over there if you want. He doesn't mind driving us around. Or I could get one of the maids to do it. They like the chance to drive every once in a while…"

I shrug and say, "I don't know, Sum. It's going to be very difficult."

"Just one tiny letter," Summer points out. "That's all you have to do. Just give it to them, ask if they can send it, and then the problem is solved."

"I don't think Ryan would really like to open a letter from me that says, 'sorry for not writing sooner, but I think I'm pregnant…'" I sigh.

"Well, tell him to call you. I'm sure he can do that," Summer says, still throwing ideas out there. "And he would love to talk to you also. I've seen that boy and how much he loves to hear your voice." I blush slightly.

"Yeah…well…" I say, still hesitant.

"What else could be holding you back?" she asks with a sigh, not understanding me. She doesn't know the whole story though, and I don't know if I really want to tell her it.

"Well, I don't really know who the father is…" I admit after a while.

"What do you mean? You and Ryan…" She says, the last part more of a question than she intended it to be.

I nod and say, "Yeah, we've…" I give her a look that tells her that we have in fact had sex before. I go a little red at the thought of her knowing so much. It's one thing to tell her we're going to do it, but another thing to actually talk about us doing it.

Summer doesn't seem to notice my embarrassment and asks, "Then why do you not know who the father is?"

"Well…"

_It was my first night without Ryan in weeks. I couldn't sleep, so I just settled on staring at the ceiling, counting to myself. One, two, three…_

_I heard a noise in the room, but didn't look up. I wasn't all that surprised that he was here. Of course he'd take advantage of Ryan being gone, and why waste the six months he has? Four, five, six…_

_He climbs onto the bed, straddling my waist. I think of Ryan, of the way his body felt pressed up against mine and suddenly have the urge to cry. I want to scream out his name and have him come save me once again, but I know it's not going to happen. Not this time. Seven, eight, nine…._

"_Little girl…" he murmurs, and I hear a zipper pull down. Ten, eleven, twelve…_

_His hand comes over my mouth. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…_

"_This will only hurt a bit…" Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen._

_Afterwards, he walks out of my room. Five hundred, five hundred one, five hundred two…_

Summer's eyes are wide and disturbed. "Has he…did he…was he…is it…"

I nod and say, "He's done it before. There is a very big chance that it might be his…"

Summer lets out a breath and says, "Oh my God."

I nod and close my eyes once again. "Tell me about it…"

"You still need to talk to Ryan. There's still a chance that it's his…" Summer says, trying to seem upbeat and positive. "In fact, I bet it is his."

I shake my head and say, "I'm not that lucky."

"Well…you need to go to the cops. Steve shouldn't be able to do any of this to you," Summer says, starting to stand.

I sigh and say, "I don't want to do anything until I talk to Ryan."

Summer smiles and says, "The Cohen's house then?"

I nod and say, "Yeah, let's go."

_Dear Ryan,_

_I know I haven't been writing, but I haven't been able to. I don't really want to go into it now, but you and I need to talk. Don't worry; I'm not breaking up with you, not even close. Just…call me and we'll get this all figured out okay? It's really important and I really need to talk to you. Call me on my cell, please? I need you._

_I miss you more than anything,_

_Marissa_

"What do you think?" I ask Summer after reading her the letter.

"I think it's simple and to the point," Summer says with a nod of approval. "All the 'I love yous' and stuff will come on the phone when he calls."

"Assuming he'll call," I remind her.

She rolls her eyes and says, "This is Ryan Atwood we're talking about. That boy would look for any excuse to call you."

I laugh a little and think of Ryan. "Yeah, that's true."

"So let's go," She says, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from my room and out of the house, on our journey to go give the letter to the Cohens.

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Later that week, I get a call on my cell. It's Ryan's cell number and I wonder why I never thought of calling him on it before. "Hello?" I ask quickly, hoping that it is in fact him and he didn't lose his phone or leave it with the Cohens or something.

"Marissa," he breathes into the phone, and I immediately feel my body react to the sound of his voice. My heartbeat speeds up, my stomach gets fluttery, my palms start to sweat, I feel completely content with everything. "What's wrong? What's so important?" he asks, the worry evident in his voice. "Why haven't you been writing to me? What's going on over there?"

"It's…I…Steve…" I manage to get out, figuring the moment I say Steve's name, he'll start to understand.

I hear heavy breathing on the other line and I know that he's trying not to get upset. "Steve," he says through clenched teeth. I hear the tension in his voice. "Did he….did he…" He doesn't finish. He doesn't have to.

"Yeah…" I say, my voice tiny and weak. "He did."

"That son of a bitch," I hear him growl into the phone. "I'll kill him… I swear I will, Marissa. I'll go over there and fucking kill him."

I don't tell him not to. "But that's not it…" I say softly.

"What else has he been doing to you, Marissa?" He asks, his voice tense, but also now a lot softer and more soothing. I could tell it was hard for him to keep his cool when he was so angry, but he didn't want to make me feel upset or scared. He still wanted to protect me. "It's okay, you can tell me," He murmurs into the phone.

I lay back on the bed and say, "Sometimes he hits me. He won't let me write to you. I had to give the letter to the Cohens to send."

I hear him breathe on the other end, but he doesn't say anything. Neither do I. I just close my eyes and pretend that he's breathing close to me, that he's right next to me and we're not talking over the phone with states separating us. Finally he says, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I say, trying to console him. "You never knew that his would happen, none of us did."

"But I still should've never left you…" he said, his voice suddenly so tired. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him that it was okay, that we would be okay together, but I knew that's now what he needed right now. Not to mention the fact that he was so far away.

"Ryan…" I say hesitantly, knowing that there isn't any other way around this. He needs to know. He deserves to know.

"Yes?" he asks, still sounding so tired.

"I'm…well…remember that night when you left? The last time that we were together…we were so urgent…"

He laughs a little and says, "You were so urgent."

I roll my eyes and smile a little. "Fine, I was so urgent…"

"Yeah, I remember," he says, his voice holding a smile in it. It makes my heart soar that I put that smile there.

"Well…I don't really know how to say this…" I admit, stalling a little. "But I need you to know something…"

"What is it? You can tell me," He soothes.

"I…it's something I found out the other day. And I really didn't think that you should read it in some letter because it means so much more than that…" I start, not noticing that I'm slightly rambling.

"What is it?" Ryan asks, trying to get the answer out of me.

I sigh and say, "Ryan…I'm…." I trail off, not able to say the last word.

"You're…" He urges on, giving me a gentle push with his words.

"Pregnant," I whisper.

He's silent for a minute and then he asks, "Pregnant?"

I nod, even though he can't see me and say, "Yeah.."

"We're going to have a baby?" he asks, his voice not even a whisper. I imagine the look on his face right now; shock, fear, confused….

"I don't know if it's yours," I say, my voice breaking.

"Of course it's mine," He says, and I imagine him waving it off with his hand. "Who else's would it be?"

I roll my eyes. He could be slow sometimes. "Steve's?"

"Right," he says, his voice sarcastic. I furrow my eyebrows, not understanding this man on the other side of the phone.

"He did it that night, the night that you left," I inform him.

He still doesn't seem phased by that. "Come on, you can't seriously think that it would be his and not mine do you?"

I sigh and say, "I don't know Ryan, it's just as possible…"

"It's mine," He says firmly.

"It might not be," I point out gently once again.

He sighs and says, "It is mine. I don't care what anyone else says, it is my baby. Our baby." Was it just me, or did his voice sound slightly…happy? "Have you told the Cohens?" he asked, moving on before I could argue.

"No, I thought you deserved to know first…" I say.

"You should tell them. I want you to tell them everything, okay? They'll take care of you," he says, his voice concerned. "I don't want to come home this December and see that you've been hurt with me gone."

"Okay," I say, a little happy that I could go with the Cohens. I knew Ryan was right, they would help me.

"Look, I really don't want to, but I have to go," Ryan says with a long groan. "My phone is about to die…."

"Can you call again?" I ask, my voice tiny. I needed him to be in my life, at least his voice. Writing was nowhere near as great as hearing his voice.

"Of course," He says, the smile back in his voice. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"I'll be waiting," I say with a smile of my own.

"Love you," he murmurs.

"Love you too," I say, and then we both hang up.

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The next day I went over to the Cohens house. I got Summer to come with me for moral support. Sandy opened the door with Kirsten right behind him, both obviously had seen it was me walking out of the car. I smile and they smile back. If only they knew what was going on. "Marissa, come in!" Sandy said, his voice loud and happy. I nod and smile at him, then walk into the house, Summer in tow. "And you brought a friend…" He smiles warmly at Summer. She smiles back uncomfortably.

"Yeah, that's my friends Summer…" I say, and then stop right in the entrance, knowing I needed to get this over with. "I need to tell you guys something, and I need you to not say anything until I'm done." Sandy and Kirsten stare at me for a long time but nod. "I'm pregnant.." I blurt out without a second's hesitation, finding it so much easier to say after talking to Ryan. Their eyes widen, shock evident. I sigh and then say, "And there's a chance that it might not be Ryan's…."

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**Some questions that were asked:**

**Captain Oats:** It depends on the chapter. Some chapters take me a couple of hours to write, some take me a little less time. It depends on the content and how long it is, plus if I'm not inspired it'll take me a whole lot longer.

**Sailaway:** haha, my dad gave me his old laptop. No fruit baskets for him though, we don't like him much. About the elevator sex…my grandpa was the elevator operator back when they had those. They didn't have a camera in that elevator yet. He stopped the elevator so that they would be able to…finish…what they were doing. Odd conversation to have with your grandma, but it wasn't awkward at all. Real life Marissa doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut.


	2. Better Together

**A/N So I've decided that this AE will be four chapters long instead of three. I think I was going to make cut down choice B to two chapters, but I'm not sure. But anyways, I am very sleepy. I had some stuff to do at my school yesterday, so that's why I couldn't post. Hopefully I'll get a new chapter done tomorrow and if not tomorrow, then hopefully Friday. I'm leaving for vacation on Sunday and I don't really know when I'm coming back. I'll take my laptop and write, hopefully they'll have internet where I'm staying. If not, you'll have to deal with no new posts for four of five days. I'm feeling very good about now, despite my sleepiness. I just thought I'd let you guys know that. Thank you for the reviews, R/R!**

The remaining time until Ryan came home was spent with the Cohens. My mom didn't really care, and we made sure not to tell Child Protective Services or seem like I was living with the Cohens, even though I was. Sandy and Kirsten were very pleased to have me with them since Ryan and Seth were both elsewhere and the house was alone and empty. They made me feel like I was part of a real family so I was so much happier. I stayed in the pool house and talked to Ryan every night, our conversations sometimes lasting hours and hours. Steve had been taken into custody after being charged with sexual assault on a minor. He plead guilty. That's all I really understood. I have no idea how long he's going to serve, but that's okay with me. Knowing he's gone is good enough.

The Cohens and I ate dinner together every night and shared breakfast in the mornings. I still went to school, Sandy talked to the Dean and she allowed me to continue my classes. Ryan was coming home today though, and I was trying to find something that would make me look just as pretty as I did when he left. There was no hiding my six month pregnant belly, but I hoped that he'd still love me and my appearance as much as any other time. He still held onto the idea that the baby growing inside of me was his and no one else's, that there was no way it could possibly belong to Steve. I didn't really understand why he hung onto the idea that much, but he made it clear that nothing I could say would sway his beliefs, so I let it go for now.

I choose a loose purple shirt and some stretchy jeans. I figure that's a safe enough bet. Then I make sure that I'm wearing the necklace he gave me, promise ring, and his senior ring, even though I only take them off when I got to bed at night. I smile at all the jewelry and then make my way inside, seeing the Cohens just got finished getting ready also. Kirsten gives me a warm smile and asks, "Are you ready to go?"

I nod and say, "Yeah, I think so."

We all drive to the airport and wait for Ryan. His flight lands at noon and it was eleven fifty. I sigh and bounce my knee nervously, my hands resting on my swollen belly. Kirsten looks at me and smiles, then says, "You don't need to be so nervous. You're all he talks about, you and the baby."

At first Sandy had been a little upset that it could be Ryan's baby considering our ages, mine especially, and then he finally softened when Kirsten talked to him. Kirsten seemed to know from the start that an abortion would be something I would feel guilty about for the rest of my life, regardless if it was Ryan's baby or not. They were both there when the baby started kicking, and they both knew the sex of the baby, even though Ryan didn't. He knew that I'd found out, but he said he didn't want to know until he saw me in person. I hear them announce that his flight has arrived and my heart beat triples. I stare at the spot where people were starting to walk out, and then suddenly I see him.

His face was searching the crowd for us and I walked as quickly as I could towards him while the Cohens stayed behind, letting us have our reunion. Seth was here too, but in the back of everyone else. He'd taken to being a future-Uncle very nicely, promising that he'd teach my baby how to enjoy comedy and be sarcastic. I had rolled my eyes and warned him not to, but I doubt he'd listen. Ryan's hair was short, just about an inch long, but for the most part he looked the same. He was wearing a black T-shirt that showed off his muscles which seemed to be more defined than the last time we'd seen each other. I smiled and then he saw me walking towards him, his whole face breaking out into a large smile. He quickened his pace and then reached me, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up, swinging me around in the air. I was afraid I'd be too heavy for him, but he didn't seem to notice my weight at all, appearing to lift me with ease.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he leaned in to kiss my lips tenderly, setting me back down on the ground. I smiled into the kiss, letting him deepen it by sliding his tongue into my mouth. I had forgotten just how much I loved to kiss him and wished that I'd never have to go without it ever again. I knew he was leaving in just two weeks again, but my mind didn't process at the moment. I felt the baby start to kick and pulled away, leaning my forehead against his. "So how's my baby doing?" He asked, his eyes sparkling as he put a hand on my belly. I felt a small nudge against the spot where his hand was laid and his eyes widened. "Was that?"

"That was our daughter," I say, tears coming to my eyes at the amazement and wonder in his eyes.

"Daughter?" He asks, his voice just a whisper.

I nod and through happy tears say, "We're going to have a girl."

He leans in to capture my lips in another breathtaking kiss, resulting in our daughter kicking hard against my stomach. I pull back and laugh a little and he says, "She's going to be a soccer player." I shrug and don't speak, too happy to express myself. "So you're finally admitting that it's my baby?" He asks, his eyes sparkling again playfully.

I roll my eyes and say, "I guess, maybe."

He smiles and kisses my cheek. "No matter what the DNA is, it is my baby, Marissa. I don't care if she looks exactly like him…" He shudders a little. "I'll still love her because since she's part of you, she's part of me." His smile fades and instead his face takes on a look of pure devotion. "I love you, Marissa," He murmurs, and then presses our lips together once again.

We're interrupted by Seth who says, "I know you guys haven't seen each other in a while, but seriously, can't you wait until you guys get home?" Ryan pulls away and glares at him and Seth laughs. "Come on, buddy, you know it's true. You've already got her."

Ryan smiles a little and wraps his arms around me, letting them rest on my belly as his chin rests on my shoulder. I move my hands over his, feeling his breath against my neck and watch Seth, my back pressed against Ryan's front. "How've you been, Seth?"

Seth shrugs and says, "College isn't all it's made up to be. Too many parties!" I roll my eyes and Ryan laughs.

"Only you would say something like that," Ryan says and then Sandy and Kirsten come over to us. Ryan reluctantly lets go of me and gives Kirsten a hug.

"We've missed you so much," Kirsten says, holding Ryan so tight that it makes me bite my lip a little, wondering if she's causing him any pain.

"I missed you guys too," Ryan says after a while, breaking free from the hug and taking a deep breath, but giving her a charming smile.

"Glad to have you back home, son," Sandy says, pulling Ryan into a looser embrace than Kirsten.

Ryan smiles and says, "It's good to be back home."

They pull away from each other and then Ryan immediately comes back to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. I smile and lean my head on his shoulder, letting my own arm drape across his body to loosely hold his waist. He kisses my cheek and I turn my face so that I'm looking into his eyes. He leans in and touches his lips against me again, both of us completely forgetting that we're in an airport and in front of our family. "You guys are too lovey-dovey, I don't like it," Seth says after a minute.

I pull away and blush slightly, but Ryan just stares into my eyes for a moment, a small, adoring smile on his face. Then he turns and looks at Seth and shrugs. "So I like to kiss my girlfriend, sue me."

"I just might do that someday. You guys are going to make me go blind with your gooey lovey-dovey thing," Seth says with a roll of his eyes. We all laugh, including Ryan, and then we get his bags, then leave the airport.

The whole time in the car, Ryan keeps his fingers laced with mine. I lean my head on his shoulder and let out a content sigh, resulting in a wide smile by Ryan. He quietly asks me, "So what's the plan for today?"

I shrug and say, "I actually have a doctor's appointment at three, so Kirsten was going to take me to that…"

"I can take you," He says, looking at our hands together. He starts to play with our hands, trying to see the difference in size and lines on our palms. My body feels like it's constantly getting shocked, the electricity from the contact making its way through my body. "I mean, I am the father…"

I roll my eyes at his constant persistence in being the father, but feel really happy. I would love for Ryan to take me, so I say, "I guess you could take me…if you really wanted to…"

He smiles and then lifts his eyes to mine, the joy evident in them. He leans in and kisses me tenderly on the lips, our hands still holding each other's, almost as if we're afraid to let the other go. I hear Seth give a fake cough and Ryan pulls back, obviously upset to be disturbed again. I just giggle a little and Ryan softens, a smile on his face again. We arrive at the house then and Ryan lets go of my hands to go get his bag from the trunk. He looks at me and then everyone else and says, "I'm going to go get settled in the pool house again. Plus I'm thinking I need to take a nap. I barely slept last night." By the dark circles under his eyes, I can tell that's true.

I nod and say, "I'll go take a nap with you." I put a hand on my stomach and say, "This little girl always makes me so tired." Ryan smiles and then takes my hand in his, leading me to the pool house after approval from the Cohens. Only Seth really knew what we were up to.

We arrive in the pool house and Ryan locks the door, then makes sure the glass doors are covered before turning to me and lifting me into his arms. "Aren't I a bit heavy for you?" I ask, raising my eyebrows and biting my lip, even though he can't see it in the darkness.

"Nope, not at all," Ryan says, and I can tell it's the truth. He carries me over to the bed and lays me down gently, then turns on the lamp. He smiles when he sees me and goes over to the bed, laying down on the spot next to me on his side so that he can stare at me. His gaze makes me a little uncomfortable.

"I'm fat," I say with a sigh, looking down at my belly. Ryan laughs a little, which is a big no-no. "What's so funny?" I ask, my voice aggravated.

"Nothing," He says, a smile on his face.

I glare at him and say, "You think I'm fat!"

Ryan shakes his head and says, "No, I don't."

"I look like a bloated hippo!" I protest.

He bites his lip to keep from laughing, I can tell and then he shakes his head again. "No, Marissa, you don't look like a bloated hippo. You are the most beautiful person in the world." He leans down and pecks my lips softly.

My eyes grow watery and he sighs, thinking he's made me sad. "You're just saying that," I say, turning away from him.

He wraps his arms around me and presses himself against me, letting me gasp at how aroused his body is. "Then how come ever since I saw you, I just wanted to rip off your clothes and make love to you?" He murmurs, leaning down to kiss me hard on the mouth.

"You're turned on by pregnant women?" I ask, pulling away and raising one eyebrow at him. "That's kind of weird, you know."

He laughs and says, "I'm turned on by you, whether you're pregnant or skinny as a stick. You're beautiful and sexy as hell, pregnant or not." I blush a little and he laughs a little more, leaning down and kissing my neck.

"Yeah…well…" I say, unable to keep the blush off of my face.

He laughs a little more and continues his assault on my neck. My blush soon goes away and I'm left feeling flushed instead, feeling my body react to his hands on my body and his lips on my neck, pregnant or not. He starts to lift my shirt up off of me and I stop him. He looks at me confusedly and asks, "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure it's…you know…safe for the baby?" I ask, not wanting to hurt our baby girl.

He laughs a little and says, "Yeah, it's safe."

"Are you sure?" I ask, still a little worried.

He nods and smiles, leaning in to kiss me on the lips. "Yeah, it's safe."

"How do you know?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

He gets a little uncomfortable and says, "There was this guy at the camp who said that he was a father and then he brought up the conversation of having sex while you're pregnant, getting this weird look on his face, almost like he was accusing me of going to sleep with you when I got home…"

"Which you're doing," I point out, an amused smirk on my face.

He nods and says, "Yeah, true…anyways, he said it was safe…"

I laugh and pull him as close to me as possible with my belly separating us. I groan a little and say, "She's getting in the way."

Ryan just smiles and says, "It's okay."

I shake my head and say, "I love her to death, but I don't want her getting in the way like this!" I glare at my belly.

"Marissa, you're not even that big. I've seen a lot of pregnant women, and you're not even close to as big as a lot of them are, even this far along," He says, leaning down to kiss me. I have to admit, his words make me feel a little better. I smile and kiss him back happily, wrapping my arms around his neck. As we make love, it's a little awkward with the baby bump in between us, but I have to admit, pretty much as good as ever.

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Ryan takes me to the doctor's office just like he said he would. He seems a little nervous, why, I don't know. He gets a little fidgety and I take hold of his hand, stilling it. He looks up at me and smiles a little, the nervousness evident in his eyes. I give him a reassuring smile and he seems to be a little less nervous than before, but still enough to keep him on edge. "It's just the doctor's office, Ryan," I point out with a small smile.

He looks around and sighs. "I know, but being here makes it all more real…"

"I've sent you sonograms," I point out to him. "Not to mention the fact that I'm getting big." I rub my belly adoringly, smiling down at it, imagining that my baby could see me.

"I know, but still," He says, sighing again. It makes me a little worried. Ryan always seemed to want this baby, even if it wasn't his. What if being here changed that?

"Ryan?" I ask, my voice a lot softer than before.

Ryan notices the change and quickly turns to me, concern in his eyes. "What is it?" He asks quietly, his crystal blue eyes meeting my worried stare. I sigh a little and he puts a hand on the side of my face, making sure I don't turn away from him. That makes me smile the tiniest bit, knowing that he still worries about me.

"You're sure this is what you want? The baby? Because you really don't have to support it either way…" I say, my voice a little shaky.

"Are you doubting my love for our daughter?" Ryan asks, his eyebrows furrowing together. He doesn't seem pleased with this.

"It's not that I'm doubting you…it's just seeing you here…" My voice trails off and I wonder what I can add to that statement. Suddenly my mind went blank. I decide to try again. "It's just, you seem a little overwhelmed, and I want to make sure that this is really what you want right now."

He shakes his head and says, "I love you and our daughter. This is a little overwhelming, yes, but you don't need to worry about me." He squeezes my hand lightly and flashes a smile at me. He leans in and softly presses his lips to mine, erasing all my worries. I wonder how I could've gone six months without him. I sigh contently and return the kiss, not thinking of anything else but Ryan's lips against mine.

Ryan's hands someone end up tangled in my hair and my arms wrap around his neck the best that I can with the awkward position we're in on the chairs. Then I hear, "Marissa Cooper," being called and quickly pull away, watching the worker stare at me with a knowing smirk. I blush and take Ryan's hand, following the nurse into a room.

They do the usual procedure, and then finally they get to letting me hear the heartbeat and see my daughter. I hold Ryan's hand and point out her features to him, watching his face as he listens to her fast heart and see her beautiful picture inside of me. He turns and looks at me, awe and wonder in his eyes. I know then that no matter what happens in the future, I want to spend it with Ryan and our daughter, no matter who her real father is.

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**So you guys remember in science class when they talk about how the male determines the sex of the baby? Hmm…interesting how the sex of it changed from the original…. I wonder what that means….**

**Girlz-rule: **Go Janice from friends!

**Elly: **Sorry, I got uninspired on Monday. It was really annoying. I was on a role, and then suddenly I couldn't write anymore.

**Leytonfan911**: I'm glad I decided to do them too.

**Najeda: **thank you

**G: **Feisty Kiki is scary.

**Sailaway: **My grandma always figured she'd die early before she really got to tell me about life, so she made sure to tell me about it while I was young. My grandma actually always felt me. I have proof. She had a journal starting in the eighties that is written to, 'My daughter's daughter.' She didn't know if she'd ever know me, so she wrote down thoughts and stuff in there. That's part of why we're so close. Haha, I put the sex flashback in there specifically for you. I knew you'd appreciate it. I meant to make this one drama-filled, but it didn't like that much, so when I wrote it I unintentionally made it all fluffy. Oh well, after the ending of the real story, we could all use a little fluff.

**Captain oats: **Well thank you, even if I don't agree.

**Juzzy88: **That's not good. I don't know what I'd do without internet.

**BlueDepths: **There will be no paternity test, I can promise you that.


	3. Forever With You

**A/N I know I should've posted this earlier, but I become way too easily bored with writing lately, so I was a bad author and didn't write like I should've. I don't know when the last chapter of this AE will be up, but hopefully sometime soon. I hope you enjoy this, and I know it's a little out there, but this is completely fiction and who doesn't like grossly happy endings? Thank you for the reviews, R/R!!**

The day of Ryan and my anniversary, I was woken up by the feel of electric kisses on my neck. I feel Ryan's warm arms wrapped around my body, resting on my pregnant belly, and let myself smile just the tiniest bit, getting lost in those amazing feather-light kisses on my skin. Ryan stops for just a second, burying his head into my neck and then murmurs, "You have goose bumps."

I laugh a little and say, "Yep, I can't help it when you kiss me like that." My voice comes out husky, which surprises me. How dare my body betray my sexual desires like that. Ryan continues his assault on my neck and I start to moan. He moves his hands slowly to grab mine that are just sort of lying at my sides and laces our fingers together. It's taken a lot to get used to Ryan always sleeping next to me again, but it's been a really fun process. Every night we make love at least once, if not more times, depending on how I'm feeling. Ryan's never been this forward with something though, not since that first day when we couldn't get our hands off each other, especially when we came home.

I unlace one of my fingers from Ryan's and move it to reach behind me for the back of his head. I turn slightly and he lifts his face, letting me look into his eyes for the first time this morning. His eyes are dark with desire, but full of so much extra emotion that I can't comprehend. What's going on in that head of his? I pull his face down and his lips meet mine passionately. I turn a little more so that I'm on my back and he gets on top of me the best he can, continuing our amazing kiss. We're both still naked from last night's activities so I run my hands down his back, feeling the goose bumps form on his skin now and smile a little into the kiss.

He starts to suck on my bottom lip and I moan, not able to believe that he's completely mine and such a great kisser. It hits me that we've been together a year today and I pull his face even closer to mine. He pulls back a little for air and leans his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes. He smiles and takes one of his hands, brushing the hair out of my face. His face tilts a little and I see so much love in his eyes that it makes me want to have him inside me at that very moment. "Happy anniversary," he murmurs, reaching for something in his nightstand. It's a box. A ring box.

_After the doctor's appointment, I was craving food at the Crab Shack, so Ryan took me to go eat there. Afterwards, he said we could go for a walk on the beach, something I hadn't really done in a while, ever since I started showing. He held my hand, our fingers laced together and I rested my head on his shoulder. "I missed this," I say with a content sigh, a small smile playing my lips._

"_I missed you," He says, turning and looking at me. I take my head from his shoulder and look into his eyes, watching the sun shine in them, giving them a God-like glow. I smile a little more and he rests his hands on my sides, taking a step closer to me. The sea breeze blows my hair into my eyes and I let him tuck it behind my ear. "I don't know what I did without you," He says, looking at me but not really focusing on me. He has that far off look in his eyes the one you get when you're thinking of something else entirely. I wonder what he's thinking about._

"_Ryan?" I ask, looking at him for a long moment, trying to get his attention again._

"_Hmm?" He asks, still deep in thought._

_I start to get annoyed and pull away from him. "Fine, get lost in your thoughts. I'm going this way." I start walking towards the water._

_He seems confused, quickly snapped out of his daze. He walks towards me and asks, "What's wrong?"_

"_You're getting lost in thought!" I accuse._

"_Sorry?" He says, raising an eyebrow at me._

_I glare at him and say, "This isn't funny."_

"_I never said it was…" he says, genuinely confused._

"_Whatever, I want to go home," I say, crossing my arms over my chest and looking away from him. He seems a little hesitant, not sure what to say or do, and then just nods._

"_Okay, if you really want to," he says, sounding kind of sad. I sigh, feeling really bad now that I realize I don't even know why I'm angry at him. I feel tears come to my eyes. Ryan seems concerned. "Marissa, what's wrong?" He asks, quickly putting his arms around me. "Shh, don't cry."_

"_I hate being pregnant, it makes me angry and then sad and then happy and so hungry!" I say, crying into his chest. He strokes my back and I can tell tries not to laugh. "And now you're going to think I'm some freak because I never feel normal and I'm fat!"_

_He shakes his head and steps away from me so that he can look into my eyes. "I will never think you're a freak, okay?" He murmurs, and then leans in to place a kiss on my forehead. "I love you too much for that."_

_I smile and ask, "Really?"_

_He nods and says, "Really." _

_I smile and happily say, "I love you too." Then I lean in and kiss him, forgetting the entire conversation ever took place._

"I thought you said not to get anything for our anniversary," I say, looking at him for a long time. I didn't have the time or energy to go out and get anything either, so now I felt really bad.

He shrugs and says, "This is more a gift for me than you, anyways."

"So you're into jewelry now?" I tease, a smile on my face.

He rolls his eyes and laughs. "No, I am not into jewelry now." He fingers the box and then stands up, looking for his boxers. I groan a little and he laughs again. "Get dressed."

"Make me," I taunt, standing up in front of him, completely naked. It doesn't work, he just briefly looks at me, and then finds something for me to wear, shaking his head the whole time.

"No, get dressed," He says, his voice oddly detached. I feel a little hurt, but try not to show it. Being rejected is one thing, but being rejected while you're pregnant just makes it so much worse and more defined than usual. "Fine," I say bitterly, searching for my clothes.

He detects the bitterness before I do and quickly turns to look at me, giving me a pleading look. "It's not that I don't want to, because I do…" He says, trailing off, getting a far away look in his eyes. He sighs and then looks at me. "I just…you'll understand later."

"I don't like surprises," I grumble, but I'm not upset like before.

He smiles and says, "I know, but today you'll just have to deal."

_Before we knew it, it was Chrismukkah. That morning I wake up to Ryan gently shaking me awake, obviously still not used to being able to sleep in yet. He woke up everyday at about 6, sometimes earlier. When I commented on it, he just shrugged and said he was used to it. I really wished sometimes that he would just let me sleep, and got mad at him once, the hormonal part of me coming out, and he just backed away and tried not to laugh. Ryan found my hormones to be very humorous, which I guess was better than him thinking I was a complete freak for changing moods constantly._

_We get dressed and then go into the main house, the Cohens already up and about. Seth was by the tree, staring at the presents, trying to figure out what they were. It made me laugh slightly, and everyone turned to see me and Ryan. Kirsten smiled and I sat down on the couch, pulling Ryan down to sit next to me. The Cohens had been very cool about us staying in the pool house together. After all, there was the large chance that the baby growing in my stomach belonged to Ryan, so really, what other trouble could we get into?_

_Gifts were passed around and I saw one bag, white with pink tissue paper, that drew me in. Kirsten handed it to me and Ryan and gave us a warm smile. "Well, me and Sandy…"  
_

"_Mainly you," Sandy cut in with a small chuckle._

_She glared at him and then said, "Fine, well, I thought that you guys would like it if we bought something for the baby. I know she's not exactly here yet, but she will be in just three months and I was thinking that she shouldn't have to miss out on the Chrismukkah celebration."_

"_Aw, Kirsten!" I say, starting to cry._

_Ryan smiles at Kirsten and puts an arm around me. "Don't let the tears deceive you, she's happy," he says with a smile, kissing my cheek softly. "Thank you."_

_I quickly pull out the tissue paper and pull out a little pink onsie that says princess on it. I smile and get up to hug Kirsten. She happily accepts my affection and then I pull away and sit back down, looking through the rest of the clothes that she bought my daughter. Ryan smiles the whole time, letting me go through the bag, not wanting to take away my joy from me, figuring that letting me open the present will make me better. "Look, Ryan," I say, showing him all the clothes._

_He smiles and looks at what I hold in my hands. He kisses my cheek and says, "They're great."  
_

"_Great? Is that all you have to say about our daughter's clothes?" I ask, getting a little defensive._

_He shakes his head and says, "No, they're great. The best clothes ever."  
_

"_Are you being sarcastic?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him._

_He shakes his head and says, "No, I'm being completely serious." He looks into my eyes and says, "I can imagine our daughter wearing these clothes."  
_

_I soften a little bit and start to cry again. He smiles and laughs a little, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in for a hug. "I love you," I murmur into his ear._

"_I love you too," he murmurs back, holding me tighter to him. _

_My gifts from the Cohens and Seth were basically parenting books and stuff for the baby. Ryan got clothes, and even a web cam, everyone hoping that he could use it while he was away. Then Ryan and I decided to go exchange our own gifts again. Ryan bought me a picture frame and said, "For our first family picture…" That earned him a kiss. He also bought me a charm bracelet, since I'd wanted one ever since I was nine and told him that too, earning him another kiss. _

_I bought him a vast array of lingerie, earning the raise of eyebrows among other body parts. "Lingerie?" He asks, his voice slightly husky, holding his obvious desire._

_I nod and grin at him. "Yes, I figured once you get back and I'm no longer pregnant and will be able to fit into them that you'll enjoy me in them…"_

_He pulls me onto his lap, rubbing his hardness against me, making me gasp a little. "Can I enjoy you now, without any clothes?" He asks, his lips hungrily seeking mine._

"_Hmm…I suppose we have time for a quickie before needing to go back into the main house…" I say, and then kiss him back, slipping my tongue into his mouth._

_A while later we're inside with the Cohens again, trying to hide what we'd just been doing in the pool house, though Seth quickly caught on. Kirsten made us get up and led us over to the corner of the room. "Mistletoe," She says with a smile, her eyes sparkling._

_I turn and look at Ryan, both of our faces breaking out into a smile. "We don't have to do this, you know," he murmurs, just for show, pulling me into his arms and leaning his face close to mine._

_  
"Now where's the fun in that?" I ask, just like I did a year ago, and then our lips met in a kiss, officially making it the best day of my life._

About an hour later we were ready to go, where I don't know. Ryan first drove me to the diner and said something about, "The first place where we ate together." And then we went and walked along the pier, Ryan holding my hand and looking just as nervous as ever. I couldn't understand why because there was no reason for him to be nervous, but didn't say anything, not wanting to upset him. We walked along the beach, Ryan looking like he was going to faint. We even went to the Bait Shop. Finally when we went to the crab shack for a late lunch, I said, "You're too nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Ryan says, shaking his head, but refusing to look at me.

"Yes, you are," I reply, my eyebrows raising. "You're very nervous. Why?" He doesn't say anything, but looks into my eyes, letting me see the fear there. I furrow my eyebrows and quietly ask, "What's going on?"

He shrugs, looking away from me. "Nothing," he mumbles.

"Yes, there is something, so tell me now or risk me hitting you in front of all these people!" I reply sourly, glaring at him now.

"You sound like Summer," He says with a smirk.

I glare at him and he sighs, the smirk disappearing as quickly as it came. "I'm waiting," I say impatiently.

He sighs and says, "I'll tell you everything, but when we get home." He pays for our food and then we're on our way home, Ryan avoiding my eyes the entire time. It reminded me of when I went to eat with my dad with Ryan and he just kept ignoring me. I felt my old anger at him come back, glowering in the front seat next to him. Finally we get home and go quickly to the pool house, Ryan becoming more and more distant. He takes my hand the minute we get into the pool house and I can feel how sweaty they are, something that really shocked me. Ryan's hands were never sweaty.

"Do you get the point of everything we did today?" Ryan asks, his eyes finally looking at me. I'm overwhelmed at the anxiety in them that I forget everything but him and me.

I shake my head and softly say, "No, I don't."

Ryan runs a hand over his short hair and says, "We went to every spot that means something to our relationship. The diner because that's where we had our first meal together, the Crab Shack because that's where we decided to become friends, the pier because that's where I first told you that I loved you, the lifeguard station because that's where we went that day that you said you were starting to have feelings for me, the beach because we've gone there so much, the Bait Shop because that's where we went for our first date, we drove past the school because that's where we met…and now we're here…" He looks at me for a long time, then takes a couple of steps towards me. "Where you first told me what happened to you with Steve, where we first made love…" I don't know why, but I blush hearing him talk about our relationship. He takes my face in his hands and leans in to kiss me long and slow, making me dizzy and faint.

He pulls back and then murmurs, "And now it's time for my gift for you…for us…for our relationship…" He takes a step back and then gets down on one knee, looking up at me with those wonderful blue eyes of his that hold so much anxiety and fear, yet so much love that it makes my legs feel like jelly. "I guess I've always known I wanted you, but now I know that I need you, Marissa." I don't fully process everything until he opens the box and reveals the ring that seems to be made just for me, just for us. "I need you more than I need anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…no, I need to spend the rest of my life with you." He judges my reaction a minute and then decides to proceed. "So, Marissa Cooper….will you marry me?"

I stare at him, my eyes wide with shock. Was this really happening, or was it just some sort of figment of my imagination? Would I be woken up by his feather light kisses on my neck or other part of my body in just a few moments? I blinked a lot, then pinched myself slightly, coming to the conclusion that this was real, that he was really doing the only thing that I'd ever wanted him to do. "Marry you?" I ask, my voice squeaky and high.

He nods, giving an uneasy laugh. "Yeah…"

"Do the Cohens know?" I ask, not able to process an answer for him just yet.

He nods and says, "They weren't happy about it at first, but then they gave in when I told them they really had no say in the matter. Kirsten helped me pick out a ring…" He looks down at the ring and slumps his shoulders a little bit. "I know it's not much, but I didn't really have a lot of money, and I'll try to work for more later on…"

"The ring is beautiful," I say honestly, still not giving him an answer.

"But?" He asks, automatically sensing that there will in fact be one.

"But I'm only fifteen and you're only eighteen and I know I'm pregnant, but are you sure that you'd even want to marry me so young when we have our whole lives to do something like that? It's not exactly traditional.." I ramble a little.

He visibly relaxes a little. "So it's not that you don't want to marry me, just that you're worried I might regret it later from being too young?"

I nod and say, "Well, yeah." He smiles widely and gets up on his legs, pulling me into his arms and kissing me hard against the mouth. When he pulls back I ask, "Ryan, what are you…"

"Marry me," He murmurs, looking into my eyes, trying to convey how much he wants this with just a look.

"We're so young…" I protest.

"Marry me," he repeats, his hands framing my face delicately.

"Ryan, we can't…" I say, my will very weak. Truthfully, I'd want nothing more than to marry Ryan.

He nods and says, "Yes we can." He looks at me for a while and then continues. "We may be young and I know it's not traditional, but I want nothing more than to marry you, and I know that you want me too."

"What about my mom? I need parental consent…" I point out.

"We'll convince her to give it to us. We'll get married when I get back, you and I can try our best to plan our wedding while I'm away. Or we can plan it all when I get back…" He trails off and then says, "I don't care how we do it, where we do it, when we do it….I just want to know that you're going to be my wife, semi-soon…"

"I don't know…" I say, but he sees that I'm clearly debating this in my head, which I am. Everything he says is right. We could get married when he gets back. I'll be sixteen then, or maybe we could wait a little until I'm seventeen. That wouldn't be too, too young right? And in the grand scheme of things, what would it matter if we married that young? We'd still be together anyways, I knew that for sure. My mom wouldn't care one way or another, so I didn't have to worry about her.

"I do. Don't you want to marry me?" He gets that brooding look that he knows I can't resist, even now in this big decision.

"Of course I want to," I murmur, looking into his eyes, conveying just how much I would like to marry him. "It just seems a little different than usual…"

"We're different than most couples," he points out with a slight smile.

"True," I say, a smile on my face.

"So is that a yes?" He asks, the joy in his eyes so powerful that I find myself nodding.

Tears come to my eyes and I softly say, "Yes."

"Really?" he asks, his voice happier than I've ever heard it before.

I nod and a few tears fall down my face from happiness. "Yes, of course," I murmur, and then he leans in to kiss me. I know then that though it was untraditional and a slightly crazy idea, I wanted nothing more than to marry Ryan Atwood, and as soon as possible.

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**Sailaway: **uh, thank you for the compliment about writing the sex. That will get me so far in life…. Yeah… lol. I'm trying to give you guys everything that Lollypops denied you, so that's why everything that you wanted to happen is happening. Choice B will be really simple to just wrap up though. Choice C, which I'm going to write next, will probably be a little longer than I said it would be also, but I'm not sure.

**Girlz-Rule: **I can be quite sneaky, lol.

**Captain Oats: **They're all gonna have a happy ending. That's the point to these AEs.

**Juzzy88: **gaol huh? I'll have to remember that.

**CohenNAtwood**: Good, I'm glad.

**Elly**: All happy endings. You guys deserve it.

**G**: Lol, you crack me up.

**BlueDepths: **Hmm.

**J7chick18: **Here you go.


	4. A Day In The Life

**A/N I'm sorry this took so long. I had internet and everything while on vacation, but I just didn't feel like writing for this story. I knew I had to write today, and that's why I'm doing it now. I haven't been feeling good lately. Depression hit again and I did some things that I now regret, but seemed like the right thing at the time. I have no idea when I'm going to write again. School starts Monday and I need to be up really, really early every morning, which means I'll be tired at the end of the day. My bus leaves at 6:45 A.M. for school and drops me off at 5:25 PM. I'll try to write soonish though, okay? Thank you for the lovely reviews, R/R!**

It was finally the day that Ryan was coming home for good, but I couldn't let myself feel relieved until I saw him walk through those gates. He'd been gone for about a year, just like he'd planned on all along, and things had been rough while he was away. This time it wasn't a violent rough, just rough because I missed him so much. I'd given birth to a beautiful baby girl in early March. Her name is Elisa Dawn Atwood, and she looks so much like Ryan that it makes me lose my breath sometimes. Her eyes are my color, her hair is sandy blonde like Ryan's, she has my high cheek bones, and Ryan's intense gaze. There was no denying the fact that Ryan was in fact the father and that had made him very, very proud when he found out.

"_We have a surprise for you," Kirsten says, wheeling something into the room. I glance at them curiously, holding Elisa lovingly in my arms. The delivery had been hard for me, and I was very tired, but I just wanted to hold her in my arms since I couldn't have Ryan with me right now. She already looked so much like her father that it surprised me._

"_What would that be?" I ask, looking at the monitor that they're hooking up. They hook up what seems to be a computer and I furrow my eyebrows a little. "What are you guys doing?"_

_They don't reply and then they turn on the screen. They do some stuff, and then suddenly I see Ryan on the screen, looking around for me. "Marissa?"_

"_Ryan?" I ask, tears starting to form in my eyes. I hadn't seen him in such a long time it seemed, just talked to him on the phone occasionally and wrote to him. _

_He found me and immediately smiled. "How'd it go?"_

"_It hurt…I wish you'd been here with me," I admit with a sigh._

"_I'm sorry," he says softly. "I wish I could've been there, I really do…"_

_I smile. "I know."_

_He looks at the bundle in my arms and asks, "Who does she look like?" I can see the fear in his eyes that she won't be his and try to hide my smile, knowing he'd know right away that it was his. I decide to make him squirm a little bit._

"_Well, I don't know about her eyes just yet, but the shape seems to be mine, and she has my cheekbones…" I look up into his eyes and then say, "She looks pretty much like her father though. She has sandy blonde hair…"_

_I don't even have to finish, Ryan breaks out into a large grin. "So she's mine? For sure? No doubt about it, completely one hundred percent my baby?" The joy in his eyes was so large that I couldn't help but grin also._

"_Yeah, you're officially a daddy now," I say softly, looking into his eyes through the screen. Somehow, even with thousands of miles separating us, we connect in a way not many people get the chance to. As we continued to talk until he had to go, I couldn't get over the fact that this was my life, and I finally felt like I was living it._

They announce that his flight has landed and I feel myself become all nervous. Elisa is right next to me along with the Cohens and I wonder how she'll react to actually being able to see and touch Ryan. We've been trying to do the web cam a couple of times a month whenever Ryan could find a free moment. She'd learned that he was her dad and one of her first words was, 'da' (her first of course was 'ma'). Ryan loved her, sometimes I thought more than me. Whenever he'd see her his whole face would light up, just like it does for me.

The Cohens were going to watch her tonight to give Ryan and me some alone time. It wasn't like she'd be very far away, and if we wanted to see her, all we'd have to do was go into the main house, but Ryan and I had been waiting to be alone together since he left. I probably didn't make anything easier with my constant teasing on the webcam when Elisa was asleep or in another room.

"_So you know what I've been missing" I ask Ryan, my eyes sparkling with apparent desire._

_  
He swallows hard and asks, "What?"_

"_Me and you…in bed…" I say, my voice seductive._

"_Is that so?" He asks, pulling at his shirt uncomfortably._

"_Mhmm…"I say. I reach for the ends of my robe and say, "I thought that I should give you a reminder of what's waiting for you when you get back…" I undo my robe and slowly slide it off, revealing my naked body. Ryan gulps and stares at it for a long time, not able to form any words. It makes me blush at him looking at me that way, even if we already have conceived a child._

_I close my robe again and Ryan looks back into my eyes. "I assure you I can never forget that…" He shifts uncomfortably, and looks down at his lap. It makes me grin to think of just how turned on he may be at that moment. _

"_I just had to make sure…" I wink at him and he grins widely. I can't wait until he comes home._

I see Ryan and smile widely. I leave Elisa with the Cohens and practically run over to him, not able to keep myself away from him a single moment longer. By the looks of it, he feels the exact same way. He lifts me into his arms and kisses me hard on the mouth, our tongues instantly mingling with the others. I taste him and feel my heart go crazy inside my chest, and wrap my arms and legs around him. His hair has grown out a little more than before, and I rake my fingers through it for a few minutes before we both pull back for air, then continue our mind blowing kiss. No one interrupts us, knowing that we need this together. I figure it must be difficult for the Cohens to watch though, considering Ryan is their son and watching your son make out with someone probably isn't as great as it is for him.

I pull back and unravel myself from his body. "There's someone that wants to formally meet you," I murmur, looking into his eyes. I've grown, but Ryan seems to have grown a little as well.

He looks behind my shoulder and sees Elisa staring at him curiously, almost as if she was

wondering if he was real or not. He seems nervous for a second and asks, "What if she doesn't like me?"

I bite my lip to keep from laughing and softly say, "She's going to love you. It's kind of hard not to."

He sighs and says, "I don't know…"

I lace our fingers together and make him look into his eyes. "I'm right here with you, it'll be okay."

"Who knew you'd be the one reassuring me?" He asks, his eyes shining brightly with love.

"I don't know," I admit, thinking of all the times he's made me feel better. "Come on," I say, pulling him over to Elisa. I pick up Elisa and say, "Elisa, baby, do you know who this is?" I see her look at Ryan and contemplate it in her mind.

"Da?" She asks, her tiny voice unsure.

Ryan smiles and nods. "Yeah, it's me little one," he says softly, using his nickname for her, 'little one.'

She smiles, more convinced and comfortable now. She reaches out with her little hand and reaches towards Ryan, so I take a step closer to him and he leans in, letting her put her hand against his cheek. The minute that her fingers touched his skin, his eyes seem to show so much adoration for her that it makes me feel my own heart melt watching them interact. His smile widens and he looks at me happily, his eyes showing how much amazement he feels at finally getting to be with our daughter. I hand her over to him and he kisses her cheek, her forehead, all over her face and she giggles. "Look, he's a natural," Sandy murmurs to Kirsten. I hear him and turn to see everyone watching the interaction with a large smile.

Standing there in the airport with two of my favorite people in the world was the most amazing feeling in the world, almost as if the stars were aligning and the universe was finally perfect.

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When we get to the pool house, Ryan looks around to examine how much of it has changed since he left. There's a crib in it, and it's scattered with tons of stuff for Elisa. "There goes my bachelor pad.." He murmurs teasingly.

I roll my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck. "Yeah, that's right, no more bachelor pad for you. You're stuck with us."

He smiles and wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to his body. "I don't even want to be a bachelor."

"You sure?" I ask. "I hear it's so much fun…" I hope he knows I'm just joking.

He looks at me and says, "I wouldn't want to be a bachelor when I'm with you and Elisa. You guys are everything I need."

I smile and say, "Glad to hear it." I lean in and kiss him softly, but he quickly deepens the kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth. I pull back a little and ask, "Are you sure you want to start planning the wedding though? I mean…you're going to be starting college, and I'm still in high school, if you don't want to do it just yet, it can be a long engagement…"

He shakes his head and says, "I want you to officially be mine." I smile and lean in to kiss him again.

We find ourselves on the edge of the bed and I quickly take off Ryan's shirt, feeling his chest beneath my fingers. I pull back and run my fingers along it, feeling how hard and toned it is. He shivers slightly and I look up into his eyes, seeing him watching me curiously. I kiss his neck, and then slowly trail down to his chest, each kiss soft and yet passionate. He moans a little and I reach for the buttons of his pants and unbutton them slowly, then pull down the zipper, feeling Ryan get harder and harder by the second as my hands work trying to pull off his pants. He kicks them off and then he sits on the bed and pulls me down onto him, looking into my eyes with so much love and desire that I couldn't tell which was which. "I've been thinking of this since you took off your robe that one day," he admits, his voice husky and seductive, just like mine had been.

I smile and say, "Good." I lean in and kiss him, towering over him on his lap. I wrap my legs around his waist and he moves his hands up my back and to my hair, pulling off the rubber band that's been holding my pony tail up. I pull back and shake my hair a little, trying to get it to a normal position, and then reconnect our lips. He tangles his fingers in my hair and pulls my face even closer to his, if that's at all possible. Our tongues stroke each other's, neither of us able to get enough. He untangles his hands from my hair and then slowly slides them down my body and under my shirt, his hands tauntingly inching towards my breasts. He unhooks the bra from behind, and then I pull back so that he can take off my shirt and bra. He throws them across the room, not really caring where they end up, and then he starts to kiss down my jaw line, to my neck, and then my collar bone, and then finally my breasts.

I moan loudly and he buries his face into them, doing wonders with his mouth, especially his tongue. I run my hands through his hair, marveling at the feel of it after all this time. he continues to assault my chest, and I rub myself against his hardness. His breath catches in his throat, and he flips us over so that my back is on the bed and he's hovering over me in his boxers. He kisses down my stomach, to my jeans, and I take in a sharp intake of breath. He starts to unbutton my jeans, and then unzips them, his lips moving further down my body. He pulls my jeans down, kissing every piece of skin his reveals, making me squirm underneath him, my body feeling like it's on fire.

When my jeans are off, he pulls down my panties, leaving me completely naked for him to indulge himself in. He kisses back up my legs, and then to the inner part of my thigh, causing me to breathe erratically. Suddenly I can' take it anymore and I whimper, "Ryan…" He tries to get me to open my legs, but I shake my head and say, "I need the real thing…" He looks into my lust driven eyes and sees that I can't take it anymore, so he kisses his way back up my body, his previous mission forgotten. He reconnects our lips and I slip my fingers into his boxers, running my fingers over the length of him. He moans and then I know that he needs this just as much as me, so I quickly shed him of his boxers.

I quickly fumble on the nightstand for some of his condoms, and quickly roll it onto him. I love my daughter, but I'm not ready for another child, no matter how much I need him inside of me at this exact minute. When it's finally on, I say, "Now," and then he's inside of me. I had almost forgotten how great this was, especially without a pregnant belly in the way of us. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his lips to mine, tasting him as he pumps quickly inside of me. I feel the waves of intense pleasure wash through me and then after probably the quickest time ever, we both come at the same time, Ryan collapsing by me. We breathe heavily and cling to each other, and I figure this is a great way to start forever with him.

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I'm sorry this took so long. I had internet and everything while on vacation, but I just didn't feel like writing for this story. I knew I had to write today, and that's why I'm doing it now.

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**As I said earlier, I don't know when I'm writing again. My next AE will be choice B, so look out for that. I think I'm going to call it, 'Hard Habit To Break.'**

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I don't have much time. The only thing I'm going to say is that sailaway, I'll take your idea into consideration. It would be pretty fun to write.


	5. This is For Real

**A/N Okay, first of all I didn't think it was necessary for me to post this as a one shot when it's just a continuation of the story, so that's why it's posted on here. Maybe if you're lucky I'll do this again sometime soon, but I'm not promising anything. This story is still technically complete, though I may add a chapter or two here and there just cause I'm too lazy to post them as their own stories. I was planning on writing for my actual story first, but then I figured that I've teased sailaway enough with talks of writing another L & L one shot, so I decided to write this instead. And yes, part of it is in Ryan's POV (bold). I was going to write the high school/college thing, but then I started writing the stuff leading up to that and before I knew it I had ten pages and really didn't want to go on ten more pages, so I finished where I did before I got to what I was really writing. That happens sometimes, but oh well. Now, you have ten pages of pure fluff to read, you better be grateful : ) R/R, thanks!**

The plans for the wedding came together quickly. Both Ryan and I wanted the ceremony to be on the beach, and since it was where we had gone on our first official date, we decided to rent out the Bait Shop for the reception. Not exactly the most traditional place, but our wedding in general was far from traditional. The Cohens wanted to pay for everything, and though Ryan wasn't too keen on the idea, we were pretty much broke and agreed. The date was set for July 17, which didn't give us a lot of time to plan out a detailed wedding, but Ryan insisted that all he really wanted was to have me as his wife, and who was I to disagree?

One day in June Ryan and I were in the Cohen living room watching TV. Well, at least I was watching the TV. Ryan on the other hand was looking for a job. "How about working at McDonalds? Free Egg McMuffins.."

I glared at him and said, "Please tell me you're joking."

He laughed and said, "What? You don't think it's a suitable job?"

"No, it's not a suitable job if you factor in paying for rent, water, electricity, diapers, food, gas, and a million other things," I say, taking the paper from him. I scan through the ads and say, "Maybe I should get a job."

He shook his head and took the paper back. "I was joking, and you're not getting a job."

"Why not? We could use the extra money. Yeah, the army is paying for your college, but what about everything else? You have a daughter to think of," I point out to him with a sigh.

"I know that, and that's why I'm going to get a good job," he said. He sighed and wrapped an arm around me, leaning in to kiss my forehead tenderly before softly saying, "I know that I have a lot of responsibilities. I'll get a good job, you'll see."

"Promise?" I ask.

He nods and offers me that smile of his that I love. "Yeah, I promise….but only if you promise to help me unwind after a long day." He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

I laugh and roll my eyes. "Keep looking. Maybe if you're a good boy I'll help you unwind later while Sandy and Kirsten take Elisa to the beach."

"And why not now? Summer won't be back for a while with Elisa…" He leans in and starts to kiss my neck. "Sandy and Kirsten are off at lunch…"

I laugh and get off of the couch. "No job, no sex." I walked away, swaying my hips in a way that showed I meant business. Ryan quickly looks back down at the paper and searches for a job that he could do. I don't think I've ever seen someone so anxious to get a job.

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Ryan ended up getting a job working for the Newport Group. It paid a decent amount, but we weren't exactly able to afford a lot of luxuries. June passed and Ryan and I found a nice little apartment that we could afford until he started making more money and could afford a house. The Cohens insisted that we should stay with them, but we insisted that since we were old enough to get married and have a baby (though we were technically too young for that), we should be old enough to take on the responsibilities of living alone. Put like that the Cohens agreed with us, but said the offer still stood if we ever wanted to take it.

Before we knew it, it was the night before our wedding. Ryan and I agreed that we shouldn't be together that night, so I hung out with Summer and Elisa in the pool house while he went out with his friends doing God knows what. After a couple of hours of watching a The Valley marathon, I sighed and said, "Sum, I'm sorry but I'm tired of this show."

She shrugged and said, "I know, but there's nothing else on…" She trailed off and looked at my sleeping daughter. "She's so beautiful."

I smiled widely and ran my hand over Elisa's cheek. "I know. She's amazing. And she and Ryan have this bond…" I sighed dreamily. "I never could've imagined it would work out like this when Ryan was away and I was all alone with her. I always worried that it would be an awkward transition, but it wasn't at all. It's like he never left."

Summer smiled and leaned back on the bed. "I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow."

I lay back on the bed next to her. "Me either. It all happened so fast…"

She glanced over at me and asked, "Any regrets?"

I shake my head and smile. "No way. I know I'm young, but I can't imagine not being with Ryan, you know? So why not make it official?"

"Not to, like, put doubts in your head, but do you ever wonder that maybe..." She trails off, not able to finish. "I mean, I'm not saying that you guys aren't supposed to be together, but –"

"Maybe we're too young and rushing into things?" I ask with a small smile. "Yeah, believe me, I keep thinking, 'what if he starts college and changes his mind?' But you know what, Sum? I think that if we can pull through all the crap we've been through, we can make it through pretty much anything."

Summer smiles and said, "I knew you two would always end up together."

"Oh really?" I ask with a roll of my eyes.

"Yeah, even when you kept denying that anything was happening. Even when you were just saying he offered you a ride after that first day, I could tell something was going to happen between you two." She looked over at me and smiled.

"And how was that?" I ask, still not believing her. How could she know we'd be together, even if I didn't know it myself?

"It was your eyes. They used to be so hard and cold, or sometimes even completely empty. But after that first day…" She trailed off and frowned. "They weren't empty anymore." She smiled. "There was only one explanation, really."

"And what was that?" I ask with a small laugh. "That I was already falling in love with him?"

She shook her head and said, "No, I don't think that's what it was. I don't know – he was just the only person that got through to you. There had to be something about to happen if a complete stranger – hot as he may be – got through to you when no one else could."

I smile and think back to when I first met Ryan, how he'd slowly made me feel like living again. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I'm always right," Summer joked.

I roll my eyes again. "Yeah, okay, whatever you say."

"I'm tired now though, so let's go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow…" Summer yawned and then closed her eyes, leaving me to my thoughts. I closed my eyes and fell asleep too.

I was woken up by my phone ringing. I got to it before Summer could wake up and quickly flipped it open when I saw who it was. "Hey you," I whisper softly.

"What are you doing?" Ryan asks, a lot of noise in the background.

"Well, I was sleeping…"

"Oh, I'm sorry to wake you up. I can let you go back to sleep if you want…"

I shake my head and say, "No, I'd rather talk to you."

I hear the smile in his voice when he says, "Come outside."

"Why?" I ask, a little too loudly because Summer starts to stir.

"Coop, who are you talking to?" she asks groggily.

"No one…" I say, trying to cover it up.

"Summer there?" Ryan asks me.

"Yeah," I say quietly, hoping that Summer doesn't hear me.

Summer looks at the clock and yawns. "Tell lover boy that he's going to marry you soon enough and that he doesn't need to keep you out too late. Good night." She slips back into her dreams and I smile a little.

I quietly open the pool house doors and step outside, immediately met with the cool breeze, even if it is July. I see Ryan standing by the pool, phone to his ear, and smile. We both hang up our phones and then Ryan walks over to me and takes me into his arms. He nuzzles his face into my neck and breathes, "I missed you."

It had only been part of the night apart, but I whisper, "I missed you too. What time is it?"

He pulls back so that he can look into my eyes and says, "It's a little past three."

"Did you just get in?" I ask with a raise of my eyebrows, wondering what they had been doing.

He shakes his head and says, "No, we got back a while ago. I just haven't been able to sleep. I figured the only way I could even get a couple of hours was if I talked to you, then I thought it would be even better if I could see you…"

I smile and my stomach fills with the familiar butterflies. "We're getting married today," I say softly, and Ryan rests his forehead against mine.

"I know," he murmurs, softly pressing his lips against mine. We continue to kiss for a few more minutes before he pulls back and says, "I love you, but I think we should probably go to sleep."

I sigh a little and say, "Okay, you're right."

He presses his lips against mine one last time and then murmurs, "Meet you at the altar." Then he walks away, back into the Cohen house, leaving me smiling behind him.

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The day goes by in a blur of getting ready for that evening. Ryan and I had planned it out so that the sun would be setting during the ceremony, which meant we were getting married fairly late into the day. I had nervous butterflies in my stomach all day, thinking about what would be taking place. I loved Ryan, but was I really ready to get married? I wasn't even out of high school yet.

Kirsten was the one who picked up on my nervousness. She set me down right before we were supposed to drive to the beach and asked, "Are you okay?"

I nod and ask, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

She gives me a motherly smile and says, "It's okay to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous. I mean, I love Ryan and we share a baby together..." I trail off and think about all of the reasons that I shouldn't be nervous. "I mean, why should I be nervous?"

"Because not only are you committing your life to someone, but you're also only seventeen," she says with a knowing look.

I sigh and look down at my hands. "What if a year from now, he realizes that this was the biggest mistake of his life? How could I live with that?"

She lets out a small laugh and says, "Have you seen the way that boy looks at you? He's completely in love with you. There's nothing for you to worry about, believe me."

Hearing Kirsten say this makes me feel a little better. "Well, there's one other thing…"

She gives me a concerned look and asks, "What is it?"

I give a sheepish smile and ask, "What if when I'm walking, I trip?"

She laughs and says, "Don't worry, that's what Sandy's job is; he'll make sure you don't trip." Sandy was walking me down the aisle since my dad was still M.I.A. after Steve drove him out of town. Even if Steve was in jail, my dad obviously took the threat to heart. "Anything else?"

I shake my head and say, "No, I think I'm ready." I give a small smile and she wraps her arms around me.

"We love you, you know that right?" Kirsten asks.

I return the hug and say, "Of course, and I love you guys too. I can't even begin to make you see how grateful I am that you and Sandy helped me when I needed it."

"We're so glad that you came to us before it became too late. I can't imagine what would've happened if you didn't come to us," Kirsten says, and I shudder at the thought. What if I had told Ryan that we couldn't be together anymore? I didn't even want to think of what could've happened.

Summer knocks on the door and then steps in. "Come on, guys, let's get going! Marissa kind of has to get married in…" she looks down at her phone and says, "like, half an hour!"

My heart beat doubles and my stomach flips when I realize I'm about to get married. "Are you sure you're okay," Kirsten asks, helping me up now that my legs are pretty much as functional as jell-o.

I nod and say, "Yeah, it's just hard to believe…" We head to the beach and I watch the familiar scenery pass by, realizing that this was the last time I'd see it as Marissa Cooper. I smile at the thought of that, realizing that there's nothing in the world I'd rather be than Mrs. Atwood.

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**I spent the whole day pacing back and forth, which drove Seth crazy. "Look, Ryan, you need to settle down. If you don't sit down, you're not going to be able to stand up there, much less dance later on." That made me sit down because I knew how important dancing was to Marissa. She'd made it clear to me that whether I wanted it or not, I was going to dance more than just one song with her. I had pretended to be reluctant, but I didn't really care. She was giving me the rest of her life; I could give her a night filled with nonstop dancing.**

"**What if she backs out?**" ** I ask after a few minutes, running a hand through my hair. I jump back up and start pacing again. "What if she decides that we're too young and she doesn't want to be with me? What if she –" **

**I'm cut off by Seth's arms on my shoulders as he stops me. "Okay, stop right there, man. What has Marissa Cooper ever done to make you think that she wouldn't want to marry you?"**

"**Well, she…" I start, but then I realize that Seth's right. Marissa hasn't showed any signs of not wanting this, so why should I think that she will back out now? "Okay, you're right."**

**Seth smiles widely and says, "I never thought I'd see the day that you agreed with me. It's a big day for me too now."**

**I laugh and roll my eyes. Sandy comes in and says, "It's almost show time, kid. How are you feeling?"**

**I look at Seth who raises his eyebrows. "Honestly? A little nervous."**

"**Not getting cold feet are you?" Sandy asks, sitting next to me. We're on the small stretch of the beach where in about half an hour I'm supposed to get married. We came early to make sure everything was set up the way it was supposed to me. All in all we had invited around fifty people to the wedding, so there were twenty five seats on either side of the aisle. We'd been here for about an hour already because Seth wanted me to calm down a little bit and figured that the beach was a good place to do so. Besides, we had to be here to set out the chairs, and greet both the minister and let the guitarist get ready to play.**

**I sigh and say, "I may be a little on edge…"**

**Seth laughs and says, "Dad, he's been pacing around for the last three hours."**

**I roll my eyes and say, "I've sat down.."**

**He smirks and says, "Right, I forgot. He sat down in the car and for about five minutes on these chairs."**

**I sigh and say, "Okay, so I'm a little nervous. Do you blame me?"**

**Sandy shakes his head and says, "I don't. I know the day I married Kirsten I hardly sat down at all. My feet were so sore by the end of the day, I almost didn't enjoy our first dance."**

**I smirk and look at Seth. "See, I'm not the only one."**

**Sandy laughs and puts a hand on mine and Seth's shoulders. "Just wait until Seth here does it. That'll be the day…"**

**I laugh at the thought and Seth glares. I look at Sandy and get serious. "Thanks for walking Marissa down the aisle. I can't even begin to describe how much it means to me…"**

**Sandy smiles and says, "I feel honored that you two asked me to. There's nothing I'd rather do."**

**I nod and then softly say, "And thanks for, you know, everything. If you and Kirsten didn't help me when I was fourteen…" **

"**Don't even think about it. We should be thanking you for all the joy you've brought us, and for taking Seth on as a brother. We're proud of you, son," Sandy said, and then pulls me in for a hug that I happily return.**

"**Hey, what about me?" Seth asks, getting a little jealous.**

**Sandy laughs and pulls him in for a hug, which gets kind of awkward for me, so I pull back and smile at the two. We hear a car door and then I look up to see Kirsten waving over to us. My heart beat triples and Sandy says, "Looks like it's show time…" The minister walks to us. **

"**You ready?" he asks with a smile, patting my shoulder.**

**I shrug and say, "As ready as I can ever be…" **

**The guests start arriving at that moment and soon everything just seems to fall together. Before I know it the wedding march starts playing and everyone stands to look at the place where Sandy was now walking down the aisle with Marissa on his arm. I had heard countless cheesy stories about how once the groom sees the bride, everything else falls away. It may be cheesy and corny, but that's exactly how I felt now. My heart beat hammered against my chest and my hands got sweaty. It seemed like the slowest walk as she came towards me, but at the same time it seemed to pass by too quickly.**

**She was beautiful; there wasn't any other way to explain it. Her hair was pulled back in some hair style I don't know the name of, but there were a few strands that were lose, slightly framing her face. Her dress was nowhere near magnificent, but somehow when it was on her it seemed like the most amazing on in the world. It was strapless and even though we weren't exactly 'pure', was a bleached white. It went down to her ankles and of course she was barefoot so that her shoes wouldn't get sandy. To put it plain and simple: she was totally and completely perfect, and in a little while she'd be completely **_**mine**_**. Forever.**

**She finally reached me and Sandy put her hand in mine. Our eyes connected and I felt a warm sensation make its way through my body. "Did you ever think we'd actually get here?" I ask quietly, making sure no one can hear us.**

**She looks at me with a small smile and says, "I don't know…it's so surreal.."**

**I smile and ask, "Ready to get married?"**

**She gets tears in her eyes and says, "Yes."**

**The minister starts talking, but neither of us really listens to him until it's time to say our vows. Marissa had told me that she always dreamt of writing them herself, so we decided to write them ourselves. I wasn't too keen on the idea of putting myself out there in front of a whole crowd, but now that we're here, I can only really see Marissa, and I want nothing more than to tell her how I feel. "Ryan, you can start us off."**

**I look into Marissa's eyes and try to keep my voice from breaking as I speak. "I've had a hard life. When I was a kid I had to put up with a lot of bad things, and then the Cohens took me in and it got better, but it wasn't easy. I didn't really belong anywhere. And then I met you." Her eyes are beginning to fill with tears now, and I angle my head at her. "You make me feel like I belong, like maybe even if you're by my side I can get through whatever life throws at me. When I was in Iraq all I had to do was think of you and I immediately felt safe. You're what makes me feel like I have a place…" I wipe away one of her tears and softly say, "And I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel that way too."**

**The minister turns to Marissa and says, "Okay, Marissa, you ready?"**

**She nods and wipes her eyes quickly before looking back into mine. I take hold of both of her hands in mine and lace our fingers together, which makes her smile a little. "Before I met you I thought that I was at a point of no return. Things were horrible, and I figured that there wasn't anyone out there that could possibly piece me back together…but you did." Her eyes start to fill with tears again and she continues. "I don't know how you did it, but you made me want to live again. You helped me when it seemed like I couldn't possibly be helped, and taught me how to love again…" Her voice breaks with emotion as she says, "You saved me when I thought I couldn't be saved, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to repay you."**

"**Can we see the rings?" asks the minister. Seth gives us the rings and then the minister turns to me. "Do you, Ryan, promise to take Marissa, to have and to hold, ****from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"**

**I stare into Marissa's eyes and softly say, "Of course I do."**

**The minister turns to Marissa and asks, "****Do you, Marissa, promise to take Ryan, to have and to hold, ****from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"**

**She eagerly nods and says, "I do."**

**We slide the rings onto each other's hands and then the minister says, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He turns to my eager eyes and says, "You may kiss your bride." I immediately lift my hands to Marissa's face and gently frame her face, then lean in and tenderly kiss her lips. Her arms wrap around me and we continue the kiss as the minister happily says, "I present to you for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Atwood."**

**Marissa pulls back a little and says, "I love you so much."**

**I smile widely and whisper, "I love you too, Mrs. Atwood." We pull away from each other and walk hand in hand towards our family and friends, everyone patting us on the backs or offering us hugs. I never let go of her, because as far as I'm concerned, she's mine and no one will ever be able to take her away.**

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A while later we're dancing our first dance as a couple to our song and as Ryan holds me, we sway gently to the music. My arms are wrapped around his neck and my head is rested in the crook of his neck as his arms hold me firmly to him. So far he hadn't been willing to let me go, but I had no reason to leave, so I didn't mind. I smile and softly say, "Have I told you how amazing you look in a tux?"

He laughs a little and says, "It can't be anywhere near as incredible as you look in that dress, which I can't wait to take off later tonight."

I roll my eyes and laugh also. "Wow, I can tell how much you really like the dress."

"No dress can be as amazing as your body," he says into my ear huskily, sending shivers up my spine.

"You know what?" I ask him, pulling away enough so that he can look at my face.

He shakes his head and asks, "What?"

"Now that we're married, my body completely belongs to you." I give him a suggestive smile and raise of my eyebrows.

He raises his eyebrows and swallows hard. "Exactly how long do these party things last?" he asks, obviously having other things on his mind.

I laugh and say, "They can go on for a while. Don't worry though, we have the rest of our lives together to make up for these missed hours."

He smiles and leans in to kiss me. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

I smile and say, "Yeah, but I love you too." As we finish our dance, I think of how I don't think I've ever meant something more.


End file.
